Life is a great sunrise. I do not see why death should not be an even greater one. – Vladimir Nabokov

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” In case you’re a first-time visitor, this is the weekly column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary sometimes sprinkled with sarcasm, humor, and bluntness.

This week’s topics include the infrastructure package, Trump’s emergency funding request, James Holzhauer & Jeopardy, unemployment, Alyssa Milano & Joe Biden, the Kentucky Derby, Trump’s Tweetstorm, Major League Baseball, E.W. Scripps Company, Canada’s newest $10 bill, and much more!

2,000,000,000,000

Democratic congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi agreed with President Donald Trump on a $2 trillion infrastructure package to repair roads and bridges, expand broadband internet access to rural Americans, and more. (Business Insider)

Now they need to decide how to pay for it.

You can read how the Montana Congressional delegation feels about the plan by clicking HERE.

4,500,000,000

The Trump administration on Wednesday asked Congress for $4.5 billion in immediate emergency funding, saying a surge in Central American children and families claiming asylum at the U.S. southern border had drained government resources. (Reuters)

A billion here and a billion there…

1,528,012

That’s the amount ($1.5 million) James Holzhauer has won on Jeopardy. Through Wednesday he has won 20 straight games. (CNN)

Very impressive.

230,000

That’s how many people filed new claims for unemployment last week. (USDOL)

50,000

Alyssa Milano sent me an email. She asked me to help her and her friend Joe Biden obtain 50,000 signatures to support the Equal Rights Amendment.

How cool is that?

145

The 145th running of the Kentucky Derby is this Saturday, May 4, 2019, with a post time of 6:50 p.m. ET. (NBC Sports)

There have only been 13 horses win the Triple Crown of horse racing. (Source)

60

President Donald Trump retweeted more than five dozen messages in an hour Wednesday morning, most seeking to cast doubt on the support of firefighters for Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden. (Bloomberg)

I think Donald is worried about Joe Biden…

30

After about 30 games into the Major League Baseball season, the best team record-wise is the St. Louis Cardinals (20-10) and the worst team is the Miami Marlins (9-21).

My Kansas City Royals are 11-20. (ESPN)

15

The E.W. Scripps Company has closed its acquisition of 15 television stations in 10 markets from Cordillera Communications. The Montana stations include KRTV, the CBS affiliate, and KTGF, the NBC affiliate, in Great Falls, KPAX and KAJ, the CBS affiliates in Missoula, KTVQ, the CBS affiliate in Billings, KXLF and KBZK, the CBS affiliates in Butte-Bozeman, KTVH, the NBC affiliate, and KXLH, the CBS affiliate, in Helena. (MTN News)

Maybe E.W. Scripps will invest in teleprompter reading lessons for their Montana employees…

10

Canada’s newest version of its $10 bill, a vertical format note released late last year and featuring a female civil rights activist, has won an international competition for innovative currency. The Canadian bill featuring the image of Viola Desmond, a Nova Scotia businesswoman and social justice pioneer, was awarded “Bank Note of the Year Award” for 2018 by the International Bank Note Society. (NPR)

Question: Who is on the U.S. $10 dollar bill? Scroll down for the answer

 

 

Answer: Alexander Hamilton

 

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